That was the official explanation offered by Google engineering chief Alan Eustace. The New York Times reports that the company accidentally collected private information over unencrypted wireless networks for more than three years.

Google’s recent faux pas is heating up in all corners of the world, including the land down under. Electronic Frontiers Australia, a non-profit group aimed at protecting the rights of the continent’s Internet users, recently wrote a detailed letter to Google, questioning the company’s actions. Read the request via the Sydney Morning Herald.